Outdoors column: Where are all the ducks?

Wednesday

Jan 4, 2017 at 1:40 PMJan 4, 2017 at 1:43 PM

Ed Wall, Special to the Sun Journal

Waterfowl hunting can be one of the most exhilarating - or frustrating – of all outdoor sports. On good days mallards, teal, widgeon, Canada geese or other species drop down on cupped wings over well-placed decoys as hunters crouch low in brushed blinds, holding their breath and waiting for the perfect moment to rise up and shoulder their shotguns. On other days, the same sportsmen sit in the same blinds for what seems like forever, sipping lukewarm coffee and staring at an empty sky.

What causes the drastic difference? One factor could be the weather. Everyone knows that waterfowl like foul weather. Cold, cloudy, windy - preferably with a little spitting snow, is ideal. It’s not that waterfowl actually prefer those conditions but they tend to make the birds move more and, possibly, come within range of hunters. Rough water makes resting on open expanses tiresome and low temperatures create a need to feed more often. On bluebird days there may be a bunch of ducks or geese in an area but the hunting may be slow because they are spending most of their time loafing in big rafts (flocks) well away from shore or flying at 747 altitudes.

Experienced hunters understand that not every day of the season is going to be a “ducky” one. But what about those times when there are just not many waterfowl in a given area although, according to the calendar and the conditions, they should be there? What gives when the birds don’t migrate like we’ve been taught they’re supposed to? That can go beyond puzzling; it can be downright depressing.

Scientists do understand some things about duck migration. One is that the vast majority of waterfowl in North America are produced in Canada’s Prairie Provinces and the United States’ upper Midwest, particularly the area known as the Prairie Pothole Region. The waterfowl that funnel down the Atlantic Flyway to North Carolina may have originated anywhere in the eastern two-thirds of Canada as far north as the Arctic Ocean. The Mississippi Flyway draws ducks from the same areas, while the Central and Pacific flyways attract those from points farther west.

Biologists also know that waterfowl are prompted to leave those breeding grounds in the fall and early winter by various factors. This innate urge to migrate, discovered by German ornithologist Johann Andreas Naumann, is called “Zugunruhe.” It has been validated by studying migratory birds in captivity. They would tend to become much more active, flitting from one spot to another almost continuously, at the same time that wild flocks began to leave the northern climes for points south. According to scientists, they are “hard-wired” to move to warmer regions where they can feed readily, develop stores of fat and prepare for the spring breeding season.

How that instinctive behavior is triggered in waterfowl (and other migratory species) is not fully understood. Many researchers maintain that the major factor is the photoperiod – the relative length of day and night during a 24-hour span. Simply stated, the theory is that, as the days get shorter, the ducks know it’s time to pack up and leave. Another proposed factor is temperature. The Cumulative Weather Severity Index suggests that as the average temperature drops in the fall, different species of puddle ducks are prompted to head south. That would explain why teal (52 degrees F.) get here before mallards and gadwall (46 degrees F.)

The theories stop short of explaining the wealth or scarcity of waterfowl in any given area on a year-to-year basis, however. Most folks who have studied the matter (i.e. hunters) feel that the number of local flocks is determined by short-term changes in weather and habitat conditions and, consequently, they pay attention to things like approaching fronts, temperature, precipitation and wind. They know that migrating birds, who usually travel at night, are pushed along by north or northwest winds and falling temperatures, and plan accordingly on a day-to-day basis.

Some localized factors also enter the equation, though. For example, in the early 1970s, the south side of the Pamlico River between Blounts and Durham’s creeks was a major staging area for migrating tundra swans and canvasbacks. I well remember standing on shore and marveling at hundreds – maybe thousands – of those large, regal birds resting in huge rafts a few hundred yards out. Or, sitting back in a box blind just off Nevil’s Creek, watching as massive, white swans sailed by right overhead. All I could do is watch because, until 1984, swans were totally protected.

Then, in the 1980s, the cans and swans quit coming. There was a reason. The vast beds of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAVs) they were there to feed on had begun disappearing. There were various theories about why that happened but, whatever the cause, the fact is when the grasses were gone, so were the birds. The good news is SAVs have started to be reestablished, thanks to the efforts of researchers from East Carolina University and others. Whether the waterfowl will ever come back now that their migration pattern has been altered remains to be seen.

There is evidence that changes in habitat, even on a small scale, can cause ducks and geese to alter their use of different areas as they move down the flyways. Tommy Hughes, biologist with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, says that may explain why ducks are not being found in some places this season where they have in the past. He explained that Hurricane Mathew and the rains that preceded it may have flooded spots not normally under water and prompted ducks to change their routine as they moved through the coastal plain in October.

About all hunters can do is scout for areas where waterfowl are staging and adjust accordingly. And, while pondering the mysteries of migrating waterfowl, they can continue to watch the weather and listen for wings passing overhead in the dark of night.

For information about “When the Bobber Jiggles” by Ed Wall, log onto edwalloutdoors.com or contact the author at 252-671-3207 or edwall@embarqmail.com

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